Michigan going under 8.5 wins endorsed by betting analyst

The 2024 season might not be as kind to Michigan on the gridiron as 2023 was, though most around Ann Arbor would probably be OK with that. Even still, the Wolverines could be looking at a serious drop off from a 15-0 campaign last season.

And at least one ESPN betting analyst, Tyler Fulghum, thinks Michigan is liable to do just that. As things stand, he wouldn’t be surprised to see the Wolverines going under 8.5 wins on the 2024 season.

His reasoning starts with the slate of games Michigan is set to play.

“You look at their schedule, not only do they play Oregon and Ohio State, but they also get Texas as well. You’ve gotta think those are three spots where they’re more than likely to lose, given the turnover there,” Fulghum said on the Always College Football podcast.

Michigan also hosts USC and travels to Washington, two games the Wolverines probably like their chances in, but aren’t hard to see going the other way.

That could especially be the case if any of the newness — Sherrone Moore is a first year head coach, Michigan will have a new quarterback — causes bumps along the road.

“I think it’s down to 8.5 now, as Joe was mentioning. I still even think you can consider that. Because you could see Alex Orji struggle his first year under center or Sherrone Moore, again, struggle his first year on the headset.”

Others aren’t so sure of Michigan in 2024, either

The Wolverines clocked in at No. 9 in the preseason AP Poll. However, that was at least 10 spots too high for them for Colin Cowherd.

“I think Michigan is the most overrated in the Top 25,” Cowherd said on another episode of Always College Football.

Host Greg McElroy agreed with Cowherd in that. He thought the Wolverines’ ranking was correct and thinks they could finish the season unranked based on takes from earlier this week.

Michigan losing 15 starters and 42 lettermen, specifically impactful ones too, is why Cowherd thinks the Top-10 is too high for them. He thinks they will naturally struggle with overcoming those significant losses over the course of this season.

“They lost not only depth. They lost, like, leaders. They lost, like, locker room leaders, you know – fifth-year seniors. They also lost the best quarterback that Harbaugh has had,” Cowherd said. “It’s very difficult to lose not only quality starters but veteran quality starters, like, who were clubhouse leaders.”